What’s missing from most time management models

The conventional approach to time management slices up minutes into buckets we can more easily manage, or batches tasks together for economy and scale.

But the one critical component missing from these approaches is YOU. How do you feel about the tasks that need to get done? Are you inspired? Bored?

Now if we were talking about taking out the trash or balancing a checkbook, how inspired you felt wouldn’t really matter. But we’re talking about posting “engaging” content on Facebook and Twitter. You kinda have to be inspired, no?

Capturing moments of inspiration

There are two things you won’t see on most calendars:

2:00PM: Get Inspired

3:00PM: Have Sex With Spouse (I said most…)

If you’re like me, you find inspiration hitting you at odd moments throughout the day.

You’ll be taking a shower or going for a walk and suddenly you’ll get an idea for a blog post, or a Facebook Page update, or some other creative idea.

4 Responses

Nice post John!

So true that you can’t schedule inspiration.

My personal example: waking up in a hotel room Saturday after the STL Cardinals won the World Series and thinking there are lessons in that season for associations and nonprofits. A couple of minutes later (much to the chagrin of my sleeping wife) I was on the laptop pounding out a blog “3 Association Leadership Lessons from World Series Champs.”

In addition to inspirational moments, I think there is something to be said for spontaniety.